


Thunder..Lightning..Forever

by Cnhedges



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:01:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23162923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cnhedges/pseuds/Cnhedges
Relationships: Maya Hart/Riley Matthews
Comments: 1
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

“We’re here, Peaches!” Riley Matthews squealed as they looked up at their new dorm room. 

“I see that,” Maya Hunter replied, far less excited about college than her brunette best friend. 

“Let’s go inside!” Riley exclaimed, grabbing Maya’s hand and pulling her into the building. 

The Matthews and Hunter family members had gone to park the cars so the girls could get a glimpse of their new lives alone. 

Riley dragged Maya through the building, up the elevator and down the hall to their room. “313! MH and RM. Thats us!” Riley read the sign on the door, her voice level rising with each syllable. 

“Okay, calm down, Riles. It’s just a dorm room,” Maya scanned her ID card and the door unlocked. She pushed the door open and the girls caught sight of their room for the first time.

“I love it!” Riley yelled.

Maya just laughed. The room was literally two beds, two desks, two dressers and two closets. No decorations, no color, no anything. “It’s a room.”

“It needs a bay window!” Riley told her.

“Yeah okay.” Maya rolled her eyes knowing full well they couldn’t construct a bay window. “Left or right?” 

“Right!” Riley ran and jumped onto her bed. 

Maya rolled her eyes again and sat down on the bed to the left, dropping her bag next to her. “Are you happy, sunshine?”

“I am.” Riley calmed down and smiled. “Are you?”

“I still don’t know if I’ll survive college but I’m glad I decided to stick with you.” Maya told her truthfully. It had taken Maya a lot longer than Riley to decide what to do about college. In the end, NYU seemed the best decision. They had a great art program, she could room with Riley and best of all, she could spend as much time as she wanted with her boyfriend, Josh.

“We should really go help everyone with our stuff,” Riley told her, getting to her feet.

“Josh and Lucas can do it,” Maya whined. She hated manual labor.

Riley reached her hand out to her blonde best friend, “come on.”

Maya begrudgingly took her hand and allowed herself to be led back out of the room. 

They ran into their families once they got off the elevator.

“Did you girls find your room?” Shawn asked.

“We did and it’s amazing!” Riley squealed. She couldn’t help it. She was so excited.

“What she said,” Maya echoed, causing the group to laugh. “It’s up the elevator.

They all piled into the elevator, along with some of Riley and Maya’s things and headed back up to their new home.

Even with 7 of them unpacking and organizing, it took the whole morning and part of the afternoon to get the room ready. The girls had decided to match their bedding. The design was the same but Maya’s was turquoise and Riley’s purple. Their desks had notebooks and pencils along with their laptops and their closest were full of clothes when they were done. 

“It looks really great,” Katy told them, her hand resting on her small baby bump. 

“Thank you,” Riley started.

“For everything,” Maya finished.

You’re welcomes rang out in unison. 

Josh and Lucas were staying with the girls for a few more hours but the parents and Auggie were ready to leave. 

“Maya?” Topanga suddenly said, “can I talk to you for a moment before we leave?”

Maya furrowed her eyebrows and followed the old woman out into the hall. Topanga led them down the corridor a little bit before finally speaking. 

“I’m very proud of you, Maya.” 

The blonde smiled but didn’t say anything. 

“You’ve overcome so much and you’ve grown up to be such an amazing young woman. You’re a force to be reckoned with.”

“Thank you,” Maya said quietly. She didn’t really enjoy being praised like this. She didn’t feel she deserved it.

“I worry about you, though.” Topanga’s tone suddenly shifted. 

Maya scrunched up her face. She wasn’t sure what could worry her. Maya had really matured the last year or so.

Topanga sighed heavily before speaking again, this time quieter. “I know you’re in love with Riley.”

Maya’s eyes got wide in shock. “Excuse me?”

“You are in love with my daughter. You have been since you were 7.” Topanga repeated.

“I love Josh,” Maya told her, trying to convince herself as much as the other woman.

“I believe you do, but not like you love Riley.” Topanga reached out and touched Maya’s arm. “I want you to listen to the next things I say very carefully.”

Maya nodded, her mind racing. She had never told anyone about her feelings for her best friend. She didn’t know what to do.

“I gave birth to 2 children but I have 3 kids. You are my daughter too, Maya. And if you ever wanted to make that official, I wouldn’t be opposed.” Topanga smiled at the scared girl.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maya tried again.

“Two years ago, you almost died. Riley never left you side. Not for a single moment. I don’t know how my daughter feels. Her emotions and feelings are more over the place than yours. If you hadn’t made it through, I don’t know if she would’ve survived either.” Topanga told her. 

“She’s my best friend,” Maya said, almost silently. 

“She is,” Topanga told her, “which is why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to make sure that you were really okay with living with her.”

“Of course,” Maya replied quickly. “We’ve always wanted to be roommates.”

“You practically lived with us growing up, but you always had a home to escape to whenever you and Riley needed space.” Topanga said, “but now this is your home. Both of you.”

Maya nodded but didn’t speak.

“Our house is always open for you.” Topanga finished.

“Thank you, Topanga.” Maya hugged her, enjoying how safe she had always felt with her friend’s mom. “Have you told anyone this theory of yours?” 

“I’m fairly certain it’s not just a theory,” Topanga smiled, “but no. I’ve kept it to myself all these years. I love you, Maya. I’m here if you need to talk.”

Maya nodded, silently thanking her. 

They went back into the room and said their goodbyes. 

Once everyone left, they decided on pizza and movie. Maya and Josh on her bed and Riley and Lucas on hers. Maya felt tense as she laid next to her boyfriend watching the movie. Topanga’s words radiating through her brain over and over again.

Riley snuggled closer into Lucas, sad he would be leaving soon. He was going back to Texas for college. He had gotten a baseball scholarship to TCU. 

All too soon yet not soon enough the boys left. Each girl kissing their other half goodbye. They sat in silence for a while, each thinking about the day and their new start.

“Peaches?” Riley asked.

“Yeah, Riles?” 

“We are going to be okay, right?”

“Of course,” Maya reassured her, getting up and going over to sit on the other bed. She raised her right hand up. “Thunder.”

Riley smiled and did the same, “lightning.”

“Let’s do this,” Maya smiled, clasping onto her best friend’s hand like she had 1000 times before. This time felt different. Scarier. And she had no idea what to do about it.


	2. Chapter 2

It only took 1 week and see Riley in a towel twice to get her to realize that Maya made a major mistake in rooming with her best friend. She had called Topanga 3 times since they had officially moved in to freak out about it. She usually complained about something Riley did to drive her insane but it still helped. Topanga was very good about reassuring her that everything would be okay but Maya didn’t believe her. 

Maya had always pushed her feelings towards her friend away and refused to deal with them. It made things easier. They were best friends, family. Maya certainly wasn’t going to be destroying that anytime in the near future. 

The blonde made up an excuse about going to the library and hopped on the closest subway train to Riley’s house. Topanga wanted her to come over so they could talk face to face. Maya hasn’t exactly fully admitted that Topanga was correct in her assumptions but she hadn’t entirely denied it either.

“Honey, I’m home,” Maya joked when she walked through the front door. 

“Hey, college lady,” Topanga stood up from the table and walked across the living room. “I still can’t believe I’m saying that to you.”

“Me either,” Maya laughed, sitting down on the sofa. “Who would have thought that I would ever end up in college? I figured jail was more likely.” 

“My money was on jail too,” Topanga winked. “Drink?”

“You know it.”

Topanga grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge and tossed one at Maya, who barely caught it. “So, are you ready to talk about this like an adult? Or are you going to just keep avoiding admitting what I already know?”

Topanga sat down next to Maya who sighed heavily at the words, “Topanga...”

“You can’t just keep all this in, Maya.”

“I’m not,” Maya stood up in protest. 

“You love her,” Topanga pushed.

“Of course I do. We all do,” Maya threw her hands up. “She’s Riley. We all love her.”

“Penelope...” Topanga started.

Maya just looked at her, no words coming out. Silence filled the room for a few minutes before the blonde spoke. “Where’s Cory? And Auggie?”

“They are in Philly visiting Cory’s parents.” Topango took a sip of her water. “Amy and I don’t always get along the best and I really wasn’t in the mood for a baseball game so I figured I would stay home and enjoy some quiet time.”

“I can leave then,” Maya told her, turning to walk to the front door.

“Talk to me, Maya.” Topanga pushed.

“I can’t!” Maya spun around and almost yelled. “I love Josh, okay? I’ve loved him since I was 15.”

“And I don’t doubt that you love him, but we aren’t talking about him. You need to deal with your feelings. And I am happy to push you until you do. If that results in you hating me, then so be it.” Topanga shrugged. “Talk to me.”

Maya chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, debating what retort to whip out next to deflect the conversation but Topanga beat her to it.

“She never left your side. Not once. Not for any moments that she wasn’t forced to by medical staff. Cory and I even threatened her. She didn’t leave.” Topanga told her. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through until she found the picture she was searching for. 

Maya took the phone that was being offered to her and looked at the picture she had never seen before. Maya was lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to wires and tubes, asleep. A mess of brown hair covered the white blanket, clearly belonging to Riley. Their hands were clasped. 

“She stayed in that hospital for 6 days with you, Maya. Until you woke up. And do you remember the first thing you asked for?” Topanga asked, taking her phone back.

Maya shook her head even though she knew exactly what she had asked for.

“You asked for my daughter.” 

Maya nodded, “yeah.” A few lonely tears fell down her pale skin at the memory. 

“She was so scared. She didn’t know if you would wake up. None of us did.”

“I love her,” Maya whispered.

“I know you do,” Topanga reached up and pulled Maya down on the couch next to her. “It’s okay. You know that right? It’s okay to feel this way, about any girl.”

“It’s not,” Maya shook her head forcefully, “I’m not gay, okay?”

“It’s okay to like a girl like that. To like Riley.” Topanga tried again.

“Why are you pushing me?” Maya demanded.

“Because I love you and I don’t want you miserable.” 

“I have my own mom, you know?” Maya tried, hoping to push the other woman away enough to drop the conversation. 

No luck.

“And Katy is amazing. But I’m the one who bought you your first pads when your period started. I’m the one you rushed to when you lost your virginity and you thought you were pregnant. I’m the one you cried to because you wanted to cut yourself when you couldn’t handle things anymore. I’m not your mom, Maya but I’m pretty damn close. So I hope you know that I’m here for you. Always. No matter what happens or what you do or what trouble you get into.”

Maya sat quiet for a very long time, processes Topanga’s words. The older woman was right. Completely. She had been in love with Riley for as long as she could remember. That didn’t mean she had to deal with it though.

“I can’t deal with this.” Maya stood up and walked straight out the door, not even bothering to say goodbye.  
———————————————  
Maya barely made it to her sketching class on time after leaving the Matthews’ apartment. She spent the hour as focused on the bowl of fruit that was on the table in front of her, trying to get the angle of the pear perfect. She was getting frustrated and hearing her professor signal the end of class felt like a relief. 

“Hey, Riles,” Maya said when she walked through the door of their dorm room.

“How was class?” Riley looked up from her pink laptop and smiled.

Maya shrugged and dropped her bag at the door. “My mind was elsewhere. I was glad when it was done.” 

“Are you okay?” Riley asked.

Maya smiled and nodded, “I’ll be fine. How was your day?”

“My lit class is already kicking my butt. I got o FaceTime with Lucas though,” Riley shut her laptop and switched seats to sit next to Maya on one of the beds. 

“How is Huckleberry?” Maya laid her head on her friend’s shoulder.

“He is good. Him and Zay have gotten settled into their dorm. Classes start for them on Monday.”

“That’s really good. I know you miss him,” Maya breathed in the scent that was unmistakably Riley, enjoying the moment of it just being the 2 of them before they ran off into different directions again.

“I do. A lot. I still have you though, so it will all be okay,” Riley rested her head on Maya’s. “Are you having dinner with Josh tonight?”

Maya nodded but didn’t speak. Her mind was slowly beginning to drift back into the Matthew’s living room and the conversation she had with Topanga. 

“Maya?” Riley asked, lifting her head up. 

Maya shook herself out of her thoughts, “yeah?”

“Are you okay?” Riley asked.

“A little tired,” Maya lied.

“Why don’t you stay here tonight? We can order in, watch a movie?” Riley suggested.

“And blow Josh off for a date with a woman? Whatever would he think about that?” Maya giggled at her own fake southern accent, secretly wishing she could do that though.

Riley laughed at Maya, “like he would ever believe you would date a girl. He knows you better than that. Go have fun. I’ll see you when you get home.”

Riley’s words stung a little bit but she pushed it away and got up. “I won’t be out late.”

“Oh and Maya?” Riley asked.

The blonde turned around and faced her friend again. “Yeah?”

“No cars,” Riley reminded her.

“No cars. I promise.” Maya smiled.   
———————————————-  
“Do you remember my accident?” Maya asked Josh. They had gotten ice cream and were walking along the river while they ate.

“How could I forget? Why?” Josh asked.

“Did you stay at the hospital the whole time I was in the coma?” Maya took a bite of her mint chocolate chip. Her memory was pretty hazy of the first few weeks after she had been hurt.

Josh stopped and looked at his girlfriend. “No, I went in the mornings and night but I didn’t stay.”

“Why didn’t you stay?”

“Well Riley pretty much took that role. She wasn’t really letting anyone else around you. I remember her yelling at her parents about it.” Josh led them over to a bench and sat down.

Maya laughed at the image, “that sounds about right.”

“You and I had only been together a few months at that point as well. It was a lot for the beginning of any relationship. So instead I made sure Katy, Shawn, Topanga, Cory and Riley had food and coffee.” Josh took a bite of his own ice cream.

“Were you afraid I wouldn’t make it?” Maya asked.

“Maya, what is this about? Why are you asking all of this?” Josh’s face showed how much concerned he had for her.

“I’m just curious,” the blonde looked down at her ice cream.

Josh sighed, “I was worried you wouldn’t wake up. The doctors said your accident was so bad they didn’t think you would ever wake up. The first day, I sat down with you, before Riley took over and I talked to you. A lot. I made my peace and said my goodbyes in case you didn’t wake. I understand life sucks and is hard. I understand the realities.”

Maya scrunched up her face, “so you just assumed I would die? And you said goodbye even though I was alive and stable, just in a coma?” 

“You don’t know what it was like seeing you like that, hearing the doctors talk about your survival chances. Besides, you had Riley there. She refused to believe you wouldn’t wake up. She never left your side. A world where you weren’t alive wasn’t a possibility. That was more than enough good energy to help you.”

Maya was quiet for a while, just eating her ice cream, her mind thinking back to that day. “I can’t believe I almost died.”

“It was a rough week of not knowing. But here you are and I love you.” Josh leaned over and kissed Maya, smiling into her.

“I love you too, Josh,” Maya smiled back. It was true. She did love him. That was never up for debate. Her feelings for Riley though were confusing her more now than they had in the past.


End file.
